Day 1: Annapolis to Cockrell Creek

Five months in Annapolis was awesome, but Ann and I cannot stand cold weather, and so these snowbirds packed up our boat and headed South today, to warmer weather and outdoor Winter pickleball in shorts.

I'd be lying if I said that I slept well last night. Embarking on a 2-3 week boat adventure is about as exciting as anything I can imagine. I was up at 4:30 a.m. and was down at the boat before first light checking the engine room against my mental pre-departure checklist. 

We decided to split the distance to Norfolk and anchor at Cockrell Creek in Virginia, just South of the Potomac River. Here is the route we took.

We brought our final set of provisions on board and headed to the end of our dock to board Empty Nest. The setting was gorgeous and the feeling surreal. We're about to live on board for at least 6 months.

I set up the helm station, which you can see with our hill and our tram in the background. With all systems ready to go, it was time to head out.

In a wonderful tradition that began last year, our awesome neighbors Jeff (Puller of Boats) and Stephanie came down to send us off and help with the lines. I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to tip them. Okay, here's a tip, guys, "Stay Warm!"

With my new remote in hand, we cast our lines and pulled away from the dock. The new remote is called a Dockmate. It has all of the controls needed to maneuver the boat in tight spaces. I wear a lanyard around my neck attached to the remote. My first experience with this wonderful technology almost ended in disaster.

Stephanie was climbing our metal ladder to board the boat while Jeff and I pulled in the lines on the other side of the boat. I had activated the remote and leaned over the rail, and the remote bumped into the side of the boat and proceeded to engage the main engines into gear providing a jolt that brought Ann running out to see what happened, and Stephanie almost falling overboard. 

Lesson learned, and we hadn't even left the dock yet. I'm going to have to be uber careful with this thing. I suggested to the manufacturer that they add a lock function so that you don't accidentally bump it, and they said that it would be too confusing for their users. Not sure I agree with that one. If that confuses you, maybe you shouldn't be the captain of a big boat. Just saying.

Thanks to Jeff and Steph, we got some great pictures of Empty Nest beginning the journey.

Approaching the Naval Academy bridge.

As we left the bridge in our wake, we said goodbye to Annapolis. That wake stretched all the way back to the bridge.

Making the turn South, we passed by the iconic Bay Bridge.

Once we entered open waters, I switched my starboard MFD from cameras to radar.

About 30 minutes from home, we passed the Thomas Point Lighthouse. So pretty.

We drove the boat for almost 8 hours with no incident. The water was calm, and there were very few boats. The water ranged from 50 to 85 feet deep. After taking turns eating lunch while the other stood watch, Ann and I next took turns napping on the flybridge sofa. When I'm on a boat, all I have to do is lie down, and I'm out like a light. Well, I guess I'm that way at home too.

Right after passing the mouth of the Potomac, we approached a pretty lighthouse, which was our landmark indicating a sharp turn to starboard towards Cockrell Creek, where we would anchor for the night.

The spot we picked out was occupied by two sailboats. However, we decided there was enough room for us between them and the mouth of the little tributary to drop the hook. The holding was good, and we were secure in no time.

Anyone with any experience anchoring knows that you are never 100% secure or relaxed, but technology assistance has improved. Here is a screen shot of my iPhone after I set the anchor alarm. If we drift out of the circle, an alarm will screech. It might be too late, but better to be a minute or two late than to sleep while you drag into real trouble. The sooner you know there's a problem, the better. Hopefully, everything will be fine. I have no reason to worry. (But I still will. A little)

With the anchor alarm set, I sat down for one of my favorite pastimes, blogging about our trip. I wanted an action picture of Ann as well (she was reading), but she is a bit camera shy on days where she hasn't had a chance to shower and has been running a boat for 8 hours and napping on the flybridge. I don't get it.

Another favorite is watching sunsets on board. We anchored about an hour before dusk, so I sat out back and watched one more day reach its conclusion.

My late uncle Yussel was really into cool reflection photography. I got a shot I think he would have been proud of. The sunset reflecting in the window of the boat with the bow visible to the right.

Going, going, 

Gone.

Again, only one of us was willing to be in a picture. I cooked ravioli for dinner.

Tomorrow, we'll get an early start towards Norfolk. We will be docking at the Waterside marina, right in the heart of downtown. I've done this trip quite a few times, and there is always something interesting to see as you approach the harbor. We've been yelled at by aircraft carrier security boats, chased away from a battleship by the coast guard, and seen a submarine. It's a bit harrowing but also an adventure. 

Day 1 is in the books. A huge success! 

Rubin out.